Minister consoles HID Awolowo over son’s death

THE Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, yesterday commiserated with the matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu(HID) Awolowo, over the death of her son; Evangelist Oluwole Awolowo, saying his demise was a “big blow” and a thing of “sorrow” to many. Adesina, who arrived the Ikenne home of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo by 12:20pm, asked Mama to take solace in the experience of the 18 century Newyork-born lawyer, Mr Horatio G. Spafford, who rather than allow himself to be weighed down by exceptional calamities that befell him, got inspired instead to pen the famous ‘It is Well With My Soul’ song. According to him, Spafford who was born October 30, 1828, “had a lot of calamities, lost his son who was age four, lost all his businesses, he sent his family (Anna Spafford with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta) across the sea” and by November 2, 1873, the ship collided with another vessel and sank, killing 226 people.” The minister, who also led no fewer than 35 persons, including Mrs. Tola Oyediran and Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo – Dosunmu, to sing “It is well with my soul” to condole with Mama Awolowo and those left behind by the deceased, assured that God would not leave her “comfortless” at this moment of grief. Adesina, who ascribed his educational attainments and the attendant dividends to the commitment, kindness, generosity and hard-work of HID and late Papa Awo towards lifting many out of poverty, noted that when he wrote Mama in December last year that he would be visiting, he never knew it would take the form of coming to console her and the rest of the family for losing Oluwole to death. Adesina said: “I said I was going to come and see you, I wrote you just in December, but I didn’t know I was going to come in such a situation like this. But I want you to know that it is not just a sorrow for the family of the Awolowos. “For what you and Papa did for us, I wouldn’t be here today, if not because of the goodness, generosity and kindness and hard work, the commitment to lifting many out of poverty, that was how I went to school. Mama I want you to know that your other children are many around the country.